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Left: A drug addict in Kabul smokes for an additional kick after injecting himself with heroin, Aug. 2007. Image: Saurabh Das / AP
Right: An Afghan woman holds up opium as she attends a counseling session at the Nejat drug rehabilitation center, Jan. 2012. Image: Ahmad Masood / Reuters
Reuters reports: Anita lifted the sky-blue burqa from her face, revealing glazed eyes and cracked lips from years of smoking opium, and touched her saggy belly, still round from giving birth to her seventh child a month ago.
"I can't give breast milk to my baby," said the 32-year-old Anita, "I'm scared he'll get addicted.”
Left: Male drug addicts sit in the detox room at the Kabul Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, Sept. 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Image: Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
Right: Female drug addicts visit the Nejat drug rehabilitation center in Kabul, Jan. 2012. Image: Ahmad Masood / Reuters
While it is not uncommon to see men shooting up along the banks of the dried up Kabul riverbed in broad daylight, women in the ultra-conservative culture of Muslim Afghanistan are expected to stay out of public view for the most part. They often have to seek permission from a male relative or husband to leave their home, and when they do they are encased in the head-to-toe burqa.
No estimates are available on how many women are addicted to opium or heroin. Nejat estimates around 60,000 women in Afghanistan regularly take illegal drugs, including hashish and marijuana. Full story
Left: An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin in the city of Ghazni west of Kabul, Afghanistan. Aug. 2007. Image: Musadeq Sadeq / AP
Right: A woman addict sits cross-legged during a counseling session at the Nejat drug rehabilitation center, Jan. 2012. Image: Ahmad Masood / Reuters
Left: An Afghan policeman stands behind a pile of burning illegal narcotics in Kabul, April 2009.
Right: A drug addict waits for her turn to see doctors at the Nejat drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, Jan. 2012. Images: Ahmad Masood / Reuters
Left: Afghan farmers work in an opium poppy field in Nawa district of Helmand province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, April 2009. Image: Abdul Khaleq / AP
Right: A drug addict holds her child as she visits the Nejat drug rehabilitation center, Jan. 2012. Image: Ahmad Masood / Reuters
Left: A doctor gives advice to a new detox patient in the Nejat detox program at the Kabul Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, Sept. 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Image: Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
Right: An Afghan doctor explains the use of condoms to a group of women addicts at a counseling session at the Nejat drug rehabilitation center, Jan. 2012. Ahmad Masood / Reuters
More photos from Afghanistan on PhotoBlog
PhotoBlog: Saffron replacing heroin?
More photos from Afghanistan in our slideshow: Nation at a crossroads
Leave a Comment:
Can't reasonable people see that there is no "Opium in Moderation." Once you try it you are on a slippery slope of addiction.
If you want to escape from your life, go watch a movie. I practice escapism all the time.
Give them all they want! Here, there, everywhere!! Tax the hell out of it and let all these druggies do what they truly want and deserve.........to die of an overdose!!!!!!!
Hell, I gotta get myself over there..... JOK?E Halolz lol
Problem is that a lot of mothers in Afghanistan use opium to silence babies and keep them quiet.
in the late 1800s and early 1900s women used opium and heroin laced medicines that you bought from the local drugstore sold as baby colic remedies. lots of addicted babies in old america
When I was a kid, one of the commonest remedies for colic was still paragoric, essentially just opium dissolved in pure grain alcohol. For a while you could get it over the counter, then it got to where you had to sign for it (much like pseudoephedrine now in most jurisdictions), then it became Rx only, and now I think that it is totally illegal.
Heroin was invented by the German chemical firm Bayer AG, the people who brought the world asprin. The developer found that it often made its users feel "heroische" (heroic), hence the name. It was originally marketed as a cough surpressant and by the time it was realized how addictive and generally dangerous it was and it was made illegal in most of the world, it became one of the bigger items in world commerce and a reason to raise more poppies than had ever been raised for either legitimate medicines or opium for "recreational" use/abuse.
Drugs suck. However, alcohol can be extremely destructive as well. Basically, what I am trying to say is that I drink more than the average person... but it's OK because I am in college! Simple logic.
Anyways, onto important matters. I am glad to see that there are rehabilitation centers in Afghanistan. Call me ignorant, but I wouldn't have thought that would have been an option.
To recovering addicts:
No more dead weight, only air
Worlds to explore, chains long past wear
You,markutk,are an idiot. Nuf said...
"Nuf said?"
You must be a joy to be around, with your great attitude and all.
That's beautiful. Don't listen to Fletcher; his opium dealer is late and he's just cranky. :D
Thanks, Christina!
It's from a poem I wrote... I'm a pretty big deal :)
markutk,
Yeah, he had guys like you in college back in the 60's. We called them hippies. They were a pretty big deal too.........
haiku: If I write a poem, and no one hears me read it, does it make a sound?
Clever...
I take it sarcasm doesn't resonate too well with a mighty master sergeant (retired) like yourself?
After all of your military training and experiences, you attempt to degrade a 21 year old...
That's what your doing with your life?
The reason you're an idiot is because you seem to think all drugs are created equally. To put it in a way you can understand, there are good ones and there are bad ones, just like people. Unfortunately the ignorant, such as yourself, make no or limited distinction, and neither does the law in a lot of cases. It's a tad degrading for the author to even mention pot in an article about addicts, and downright laughable for you to decry "drugs" but admit you're a heavy drinker.
You just made an incredible amount of assumptions and incorrect remarks, which is ironic, coming from a person who goes by "LevelMinded." I'll give you the victory if that's what you want; I couldn't care less about defending a comment I left that was intended to portray sarcasm.
The name calling is great though, keep it up! ...See what I did there?
Markutk,
Thanks. I thought it was too. Did you like the haiku?
Hmmmm, I though you would recognize the sarcasm I was dispensing. It was funny to hear someone describe himself(herself) as such......
Just HAD to toss out a little jab. Hope I didn't hurt your young feelings....
And I thought the potheads would be on the first thread...lol
alcohol is a drug .
They are trying to escape from the troubles of the world. I used to drink heavily but found out the problem comes back. Prayer is what helps me to cope with my troubles. I truly believe this is why people get addicted because it helps them escape, but they don't realize the problems it adds to them. But I actually feel for them, as they have no hope in addiction. We live in a troubled world.
That's probably why most of the population in afghan and other muslim nations are so devoutly religious and covet their holy book more than life itself. With such a miserable existence, death and the afterlife HAS to be better and worth looking forward to than their life here and now.
Agreed Rtypo many of the towns over there do not even have electricity, clean water etc. The only thing that grows there is freaking opium. I would be wishing for the after life too if I did not have the internet.
geeez !!! the Numbers are greater here, than there.. something is backward here........
I'd be on drugs too, being female in that hole.
Being a woman in such a country, with the pick of nasty males, the head to toe custome, the poverty and misery, and the wonderful religion that put me on a place lower than rouches, I would also dope my self to oblivium to die fast. really if there is a hell, afganistan it is here in this planet; Not for the nature and sorroundings, the coutry is beautiful if you take away the humans there and their houses, their roads, their nastiness and backwarness. everything else is beautiful, even the dogs are pretty, the humans? ugly people with ugly minds and behaviors.
Isn't religion wonderful? Only religion makes women possesions of men. Only religion makes people wear burkas, goofy hats, robes and magic underwear.
that was a pretty horrible thing to say, Mora-ethnocentric too! those people are the way they are because of what the rest of the world has consistently done to them! you wouldn't look, or act so good either if you were constantly being kicked and starved! that country has endured much at the hands of the greedheads of the world. don't blame the abused...blame the abusers! USA, BRITAN, RUSSIA, ...
Religion should be a choice, but in places like Afghanistan, no one has the luxury to pick.
We should inject every Afghan before we leave, so they can see what their product does to the rest of the world. Get them hooked. Allah can save them.
That's sick, how would you like it if someone forced you into heroin addiction?
you're an a-hole.
We should send them some works for free. It's the least we can do for them bring that @!$%# over her like they do. Next, we should send them crack and then some pork and finally beer. F-u-c-k all those people. They all hate us. Let Trashcanistan get hooked on their own drugs and let's help them do it too. It's the least they we can do after helping these people twice.
They are getting "hooked" regardless of what you think.
You Jim D are also an idiot of huge proportions. We've been there HOW LONG and the poppy and opium trade has increased.!?!.!!?? It's grown while we've been there,not shrunk. And Jim,I hardly think that they're the big operation that's actually "bringing it over here" like you would like to think. At most,these hillbillies are transporting it by donkey cart and other non-technical means to surrounding countries.It's rich folks from around the world(Americans included)that pay for that @!$%# to be shipped all over the world. Crack and pork(?) and beer? You are a F'N CLOWN!
that ain't the half of it-we are waging that war for oil, AND THAT OPIUM, and the human slave trade. its the economy stupid!
Am I the only one who see's this as "punny"? really the hidden addicts? and they all wear the burqa type whatever they are things?
but the 9 months you carried him won't cause him to be addicted *insert eye roll here*
At least they grow their own and tax payers are not paying, while here , It comes from Mexico and tax payers pay for all sort of S#!i, so Who Cares.
Please everybody around here, knows what neighborhood exactly weather where to buy or avoid.
this must be a slow news day. so lets find out what everybody in every other continent is doing, re-ridiculous.
Who cares!!!!!!!!!!!
If you're so bored, maybe you could take a class and learn how to write?
If I lived in that fukkin' sh1thole, I'd smoke dog sh1t if it would make me high.
Not to mention the production is up threefold since we went over. Just like Vietnam President Thu was the biggest dealer in Asia. Our politicians make money on everything. Vote everybody out this election. Aren't you tired of the best politicians that money can buy? And who cares about the Afghanis? Those people are another bunch that haven't changed in 2,000 years. Wake up!
except don't forget they couldn't change. how could they while constantly being attacked by the greedheads? think about it. how do you get civilized while being bombed into caves every 10 years or so?
Get us out of this miserable country of drug addicts, jihadists, Muslim pieces of s##t and the desert rats. They hate us we hate them, good now leave.
well...like we don't have addicts. this is such a prejudiced piece of work...and look it works like a charm...all you haters just got a recharge. sad. don't you get tired of being led by the nose? lazy mental idgits!
Why lump hash in with opium? They are not the same thing. To do so isignorant and misleading. I remember that good Moroccan blond of the 1970's with some fondness, but when I became a man I had to put away childish things.
"Moroccan blond" -- ah, yes, the Marrakesh Express, lol.
we SHOULD get out -you're right about that...but not because it's a nasty place or because we're losing more than gaining (WE were never supposed to win, a few already rich got richer, is all), but because we were wrong to EVER go there in the first place! the rich are making an economy out of war for themselves and they use our defenses (troops) to kill and go crazy, commit suicide, (more for them)-they get rich while YOU get cancer from the hate they've managed to make you feel towards abused, skinny, poor, brown people, so that you will send your children to do their dirty work! same as it ever was-WTFU!
Kevin i guess you have no idea about addiction, and they are still people regardless of were they live, i dont think we had a choice as to who we are,,,,, do we
Those galls are on the make to support the Addiction I guess you have to trust them when thay tell you that underneath the're vails that thay are really hot & sexey. Sounds humorous. LOL.....
condoms..if a woman suggests such a thing, she will be stoned in afghanistan. like the article said, the lady gave birth to her seventh child..you think she wanted seven kids? ive been deployed and see the LN's walk around base. The womens sole purpose is to have children, the men screw each other for pleasure. You will see two men hugging, holding hands as their belief is woman are solely baby factories, im not even joking or being rude, THIS IS HOW THIS COUNTRY IS. and they say to "win their hearts and minds". Guess we should build a Club Med and ship half of san francisco on over
Kevin, umm were there for a little something called 9/11. and even though osama is dead, the taliban are still around. remember with these people, another will take bin ladens place. the problem is were so worried about collateral damage and our image its hurting our "reputation" on the world stage. I say screw it, war is hell and we are better trained. Bomb the sh*t out of them and kill them. You win a war by killing the enemy, by reducing their numbers to as low as possible. Lets finish this up with one last brutal friggin sweep and kill as many as these backwards, uneducated, barbaric pieces of trash as possible. then, leave them to their own demise. See how Karzai starts singing a different tune about Americans once we arent there to protect him. Coward.
As for the addiction, you see how the men get a detox room that removes them from the source of their fix and the women.."oh you can see a counselor then off to your village".. what happens when you put a smoker trying to quit in a room with 50 people smoking..hes going to bum a cigarette. the women here are not respected and are viewed as property and an item. its sad, but thats how these people live their lives.
Please don't blame the people that are suffering. Keep Shining A Light.
Hear drug use is rampant among our service personal there, any truth to that?
You are permitted to be a drug addict on heroin in a Muslim society but they not allowed to show their faces?
Must be cause their all high?
All the money in the world spent on feeling good.....